


Baby Blues

by YeolMonster



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Female Sungyeol, Humor, Slice of Life, Unplanned Pregnancy, tribute to PICK ME stages I guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:44:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YeolMonster/pseuds/YeolMonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sungyeol gets pregnant. Accidentally. [Fem!Yeol, Pregnant!Yeol, Myungsoo-centric]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [MyungYeolPromptMeme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/MyungYeolPromptMeme) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> College student Sungyeol accidentally becomes pregnant because of her boyfriend Myungsoo being careless. 
> 
> (Fem!Sungyeol)
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: I choose to do this in two parts for personal reasons (OKAY FINE I DIDN'T MEET MY DEADLINE WHICH WAS TODAY, AND IT'S 1AM AND I WAS LIKE "WELL IT MIGHT BE STILL SUNDAY SOMEWHERE, SO IMMA JUST WING IT") but this is a oneshot and next part will be posted next Sunday! And funny story - I started writing this fic with no idea Sungyeol is going to prance on stage with a wig and a pink skirt, and here we are, overwhelmed and bedazzled by her majesty, Yeolna, first of her name, queen of kpop (((and mother of dragons - I'm sorry I had to add it))).

 

Three times now, Myungsoo told Sungyeol that he loved her.

The  first time was drunkenly, back when he and Sungyeol were just sleeping around, and Sungyeol kept insisting that nothing serious could ever happened between them. Myungsoo can remember it clearly - it was the middle of karaoke room, and it was loud, and Myungsoo didn’t know anybody else at that party beside her. Her long hair spilled in curls on her bare shoulders, and she was blabbering about the differences between two beer brands and Myungsoo thought; ‘wow I want to marry her’.

She usually talks really quickly when she’s excited about something, pausing briefly to take a breathe - Myungsoo waited for that pause to tell her, but the exact same time he did, she said; “Myungsoo, dark beer gives you gases, anyway—”

When she asked; “what did you say?” the neon lights were dancing on her face and Myungsoo suddenly felt like she might laugh at him for _having feelings_ since they’re not even dating.

The second time was a few months ago, when Sungyeol was staying the night at his place. Myungsoo finally coaxed her to watch his new favorite anime with him, and she sat through the first episode without fidgeting or making judgmental comments. After it ended she said; “you’d think they’d get tired of making romantic sappy animes by now.” Myungsoo thought that was a much better response than _“Myungsoo, you do realize that the audience this anime targets is 12 year old girls? Why can’t you like boy things? Don’t look at me like that, hentai doesn’t count._ ” which she told him last time he tried to show her an anime he loved (admittedly, showing Tokyo MewMew to Sungyeol, probably wasn’t the best choice he made) - so he merrily continued to the second episode. During the opening song, Sungyeol came back from the bathroom wearing Myungsoo’s hoodie, and snuggled up to him before taking out her pink nail polish, and very carefully applying it over the foot she draped on Myungsoo’s lap. Myungsoo wasn’t even interested in the anime at that point, because she had her long hair in a messy bun on top of head and she _smelled_ like _him_ , and he could not envision somebody more suitable for him than her, so he said it. This time she heard him, loud and clear, and looked up to meet his eyes.

“What?” Her face was devoid of any emotion - something that rarely happens, and Myungsoo felt this incredible chill climbing up his feet to his stomach, like a wave of dread, so he gulped and said; “This. I—um—love this. Part. I love this part. So. You should watch it.”

She turned back to the TV, then back to him, squinted, but complied.

Today, she insisted to be taken to the hospital. That itself made Myungsoo worried, but the silence inside the car as he drove there, made him even more anoxious. When they arrived to the ER, she told him to stay put. Myungsoo locked the door before she could exit and demanded to know what’s going on. She told him she thinks she has a life threatening tumor. “I read it on WebMD. I felt my belly up, and I think it really is swollen? And I have all the symptoms. I pee like a gazillion times per hour. I think it’s located at my kidneys.”

So he told her. That he loves her. Again. It seemed pretty relevant if she was going to die or something. She reached to him - and he thought she was going to kiss him, but she pressed on the button to unlock the doors and told him; “Hold that thought.” before running out.

Now she is gone approximately an hour and a half.

Myungsoo can see her reading his texts, but she didn’t reply yet, for the nth time.

He already tried to go in and ask for her, but the staff were unhelpful and rude and he couldn’t see her anywhere in the ER. He peeked through all the curtains and asked all the doctors.

Now he’s back at his car.

He has this hunch that she just escaped through another exit and took a taxi back home, but he decides to wait some more, just in case.

He texts Woohyun; “I told Sungyeol that I love her.”

And Woohyun texts back; “And you lived to tell the tale? Shocking.”

Also Woohyun is an asshole best friend.

And he’s dating Sunggyu.

So what does he know.

He contemplates writing the same text to Hoya for about 5 minutes, then realizes that Hoya is something even worse than ‘dating Sunggyu’. He’ll probably send another video of himself laughing for ten minutes. That’s what he did when Myungsoo told him that he and Sungyeol are officially dating.

Myungsoo then wonders about the complexity of life and tries to push the thought of ‘tell me who your friends are and i'll tell you who you are’ somewhere back into the corner of his mind. He couldn’t be the gigantic asswipe they are. Sungyeol sometimes babies him and calls him a ‘cinnamon bun’. So he’s not that bad.

Talking about the devil - Sungyeol opens the door and startles him out of his thoughts.

Her eyes are puffy when she bends her head to enter into the car, but then their eyes meet, she sniffles and retreats back outside; “I can’t even look at you right now!” she reasons and slams the door.

At first Myungsoo decides it's just one of her moods (god forbid he’ll say the word PMS, hell’s seventh circle doesn’t equals to the rage that will be unleashed on him, so don’t even hint at that), then he tries to remember what did he do the past few days that might have caused this outburst, then he just sits there for another moment, trying to collect himself before he goes out. Facing a raging Sungyeol is a delicate manner, kind of like defusing a bomb, one must be mentally prepared, or else you’ll end up falling into a dark, deep abyss.

She’s pacing around the car in her overly large varsity jacket. Her hair's a mess, and she’s holding onto her head with both of her hands, as if she’s panicking.

Frankly, Myungsoo never even saw her like that. She was always rather collected about herself, even when she was angry, this Sungyeol looks smaller somehow, more vulnerable.

“What happened…?” He reaches his hand, but she swats it.

“You happened, that’s what happened.” She wipes her tears with the back of her hand and leans back onto the car.

Myungsoo pauses, and tries to think what could he possibly trigger this kind of response; “Wait— is this because we had sex like for seven times on Saturday? Did I tore something down there or—”

For a moment he thinks she’s going to hit him with her bag - honestly he has no idea what she puts inside that thing, but it has the weight of 3 bricks and a handful of stones, one time that shit fell on his feet, and Myungsoo thought they’re going to amputate it - but instead more tears come out.

She looks away from him and climbs back into the car, slamming the door after her.

Myungsoo goes into the driver's seat after giving her a moment, but doesn’t speaks.

He’s not sure what to say even.

It’s true that lately he and Sungyeol had been going at it like bunnies - usually Sungyeol is very uptight about such things, but things were going so well between them lately.

The other day they even went into a bistro and she ordered a juicy fattening hamburger and engulfed it - Myungsoo actually thought that it was charming that she always tried to put this sophisticated front with him, but discarded it recently.

Thing is, he never felt there’s anything wrong with Sungyeol’s lady parts - they had sex yesterday and it felt really good, the same way as always. He keeps getting the images of the porn-industry documentary he saw where they said they need to stitch up their vaginas after gangbangs, and cringes.

She cries silently, and the only sound that he can hear is her wiping her nose with the back of her hand - he wants to hug her, but she just tells him ‘don’t’ so he _doesn’t_.

After she calms down, she doesn’t say anything for another moment.

“It’s not a tumor. Or - I don’t know what you imaged to yourself there with your wild fantasies.” She actually snorts; “—Did you think my clitoris fell off or something?”

“Porn stars stitch their lady parts up. I saw it on tv.”

That makes her snort again; “Oh—so now I’m a porn star?”

“Well— you could be — if you wanted. You have the body for it. And I have a camera.”

She laughs at that, then takes in a deep breath, that comes out a little shaky.

“So…” Myungsoo turns to her on his seat; “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Myungsoo doesn’t register it at first. That sentence or the implication behind it.

“Six weeks. It has a heartbeat and everything.”

Myungsoo turns away from her to face the wheel. He clutches it, as if the car is spinning.

“But… aren’t you supposed to be sick… or something? In the mornings? I’ve never—”

“That’s what I thought! Apparently not all women get morning sickness.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m 19. I’m not even 20 yet—I’m going to be 20 in August. I can’t be a mom. I barely started college. And my parents will kill me if I’ll have it.”

Myungsoo turns back to her, almost as if he’s asking her a question.

She answers.

 

.

  
  


Thinking about a potential baby is a lot.

First it’s a lot to process, and then it’s a lot to think about, even though Sungyeol claims she made up her mind.

Myungsoo clearly didn’t because he thinks about it in class, in his apartment, while walking, while breathing.

He’s suddenly aware of every child that’s passing beside him and thinks it’s adorable and heartbreaking. He knows he shouldn’t put any pressure on Sungyeol as it is, so he doesn’t - but he sits in his Commercial Photography Class, and thinks about how nicely all of this can work out if she doesn’t aborts.

When he comes over he wonders if Mijoo - Sungyeol’s roommate - even knows. He wonders if they share these sort of secrets, or if Sungyeol choose only to tell him because he’s the father.

Sungyeol planned this whole date, as if trying to pretend everything’s normal, but in the end she can’t even make it out of her pajamas.

They snuggle on her bed, and she tucks her head underneath his chin.

She smells nice.

Myungsoo puts his hand through her hair.

“We would’ve been bad parents anyway.” She tells him.

He takes a large inhale. He’s actually pretty good with kids.

“My parents - if they find out, they’re going to tell me to get rid of it anyway, on top of that they still think I’m this blushing virgin— I can’t even imagine how they’ll react. Not to mention what a scandal this will be at university.”

It sounds like she’s trying to convince someone, and Myungsoo desperately wants to ask who exactly - him or herself, but he bites himself back.

“And I can’t drop out—”

“Sungyeol -” He pauses, then takes a large inhale; “This is your decision. I told you that - but you won’t have to drop out. You can just miss a semester or something. And, if we have it… I can drop out. I mean, at first. It’s not like I can do much with a degree in Photography anyway, and my parents would definitely help us. I think they’ll just be really happy and relieved to find out I’m not gay. It’s going to be hard - but it can work out I guess. If you want to. ”

Her hair tickles his chin for a moment or two.

She doesn’t mentions it the entire night after that.

 

.

 

On Saturday morning, they drive around an hour out of Seoul for a full check up in a proper maternity clinic.

Sungyeol doesn’t want it to be anywhere in Seoul, because she’s paranoid somebody will find out or one of her relatives will see her there. She’s looks tired when she crawls into the jeep, and is cranky all the way there, commenting on the way Myungsoo is driving, on how bumpy the road is, on how she has split ends, and that she’s hungry again even though Mijoo prepared her a toast.

Myungsoo insists on going into the ultrasound with her, even though she doesn’t want it.

It’s so tiny. It’s just a bubble really - you can’t see anything. It’s fluttering relentlessly - the doctor says that’s the heart beating.

Myungsoo stares at it, eyes wide, since now it’s not just some hypothetical thing, but an actual _thing_.

After the blood results come out, Sungyeol get called into the room - the doctor, Jang Amy is her name, is about to close the door after her, when she says; “Daddy, you can come in too.”

Before Sungyeol can comment on that, Myungsoo slips in.

Somebody called him a ‘daddy’ and it wasn’t Sungyeol. Huh.

The baby is healthy. Sungyeol is healthy. She gives potential delivery date (First week of April). Prints out optimal diet plans for Sungyeol. Suggests additional vitamins she may want to take.

“Can we remove it, then?”

The doctor is mid-sentence when Sungyeol says that, and her face visibly falls. She glances at Myungsoo. Myungsoo isn’t sure what exactly she expects from him, maybe she wants him to talk sense into Sungyeol - but at the same time, Myungsoo wants her to do that too, and he’s scared of what will happen if she will.

She doesn’t do either.

“Technically - yes. It’s illegal - but… you can— there are ways to… do this procedure.”

“Can I do it here?”

She looks at Myungsoo again, and at this point, Myungsoo feels guilty. Guilty that he made Sungyeol go through with such a horrible thing.

“We don’t do abortions here - but there’s a private clinic not far from here... you can sign some forms, and say there’s something wrong with the baby.”

Sungyeol leans down her chair so they could discuss the details of that.

Myungsoo feels like he shouldn’t have come in.

It feels like he’s not really in the room - it sure as hell doesn’t feel like he’s the father or that he’s included - like he’s somebody who's just watching everything from the sideline but doesn’t have a say in what’s happening.

 

.

 

Myungsoo always thought of himself as a guy girls usually settle for.

He knew he was handsome, and his family was wealthy. But he probably wasn’t some great conquest every girl wanted to have under her belt.

Sungyeol wasn’t his first girlfriend - or second, for the matter - and there was always that feeling of slow disillusionment that girls went through with him when he realized he’s not prince charming but just another guy. With Sungyeol it was different from the start - she told him right away; “it won’t work out between us, you’re shorter than me.” She had commitment issues. She kept them under the title of _friends with benefits_ , then called him at 3am and Myungsoo strongly suspected it’s because she just wanted to hear his voice.

She was that tall, beautiful noona that everybody thought should be a model - but she wasn’t just that, she was intelligent and witty and literally everybody in campus were itching just to have her say ‘hello’ to them. She was in Architecture Major, and she had straight As. People would stop talking when she’ll walk down the hallways with her long, wine-colored hair. Hoya and Woohyun almost pissed their pants when she came over to talk to him the first time. In fact - after that he had men from all over coming to ask him if there’s something between them.

A few months ago he finally got her to accept that they’re dating. It had been a very long and bloody campaign that lasted a little over three months, and Myungsoo had carefully planned everything with flowcharts.

Now this.

He feels like he’s walking on thin ice around her as it is, scared she might run for the hills if he’ll get too obsessive or too suffocating - but he hadn’t ever felt the way he felt with her, and he’s constantly scared that she might let her slip between his fingers.

It was like he was trapped in the ‘Runaway Bride’ movie for over a year now.

Mijoo isn’t home when they come back.

Sungyeol didn’t eat anything from morning, so he prepares her something to eat.

When he comes to call her, she’s standing next to the mirror, with her t-shirt raised up to her bra and is staring at the reflection of her belly.

There’s nothing there.

Her belly looks flat.

He’s not sure how she knew something was growing inside of her - maybe she just felt it.

He wishes she could talk to him more and tell him what’s going on inside her head.

Does she hate the mere thought that there’s a part of him inside of her now?

Does she hate him for putting her through this?

Does she blame him?

She always had everything figured out - if you’d ask her where she like to find herself in the future, she had complete elaborate answers up to the 10 years mark. She was always ahead of everybody.

Something like this, something unplanned… would ruin everything she wanted for herself. And Myungsoo wanted her to be happy.

He feels like whenever she’ll look at him, she’ll always remember the baby she had to abort - and the guilt just squeezes him inside.

“Spying from the doorway again, you perv?” She asks, and lets her t-shirt fall down.

Myungsoo opens the door a little wider, but doesn’t come inside.

She sits down on her bed, and stares at him for a moment, before reaching her hand out for him.

He comes to sit next to her, and hugs her.

She feels small and thin in his hands and smells of something fruity. She snorts; “I remember Mijoo invited a few friends over and she told me you begged her to tag along.”

“I didn’t beg her. She exaggerated.”

“And then you’d ask to go to the bathroom every five minutes just to peek into my room while I was studying.”

“I didn’t know where we were standing back then, and you never returned my calls or texts.”

“I still have no idea how you got my phone number.”

“I paid Lee Sungjong 150,000 won to get it.”

That makes her laugh.

“Best money I’ve ever spent.” He adds.

“I can’t believe that little weasel sold me for 150,000.” Although she says that, she doesn’t sound angry at all. “I think my phone number is worth at least 300,000.”

“I’d pay a billion, if I had to.” Myungsoo kisses her shoulder. Then showers her neck with kisses.

The skin on her neck is soft, and gets red when teased.

“Myungsoo,” She turns to face him and her voice breaks a little; “Do you still love me… after all this?”

It’s weird that she’d even ask such a thing. Myungsoo studies her face for a moment - the sun was setting when they got home, and Sungyeol didn’t open the lights in her room. She had this pink-purple little lightbulbs net on the walls which always made her room seem so romantic during nighttime.

“Yeah, I do. I’d love to have a baby with you - even if not right now. That’s okay. We can have one later.”

She stares at him in the eyes, as if looking to see if he’s lying or not, then looks away for a moment, before finally leaning to him and kissing him.

It’s a really shy, cautious kiss, almost as if she’s afraid he’s going to reject her.

He doesn’t.

That day they have sex but it’s different than any other sex he ever had - not bad, but different. It’s tender, gentle - even when she takes off her shirt, Myungsoo is scared to hurt her, so he ghosts his fingers on her pale skin, and plants slow, loving kisses everywhere his lips reach.

 

 

.

 

They set the date to a Thursday.

Myungsoo doesn’t sleeps the day before and Sungyeol doesn’t either.

She texts him at 4 am not to forgot to bring a change of clothes if he’s coming along, and Myungsoo feels stupid for not texting her earlier.

They told everybody they’re going on a romantic getaway in the mountains.

Even Yein, Sungyeol’s favourite hoobae from her major, seemed suspicious, and she usually just accepts everything Sungyeol tells her without questioning it.

Sungyeol will probably spend the night there, considering that they need to keep her under surveillance for another 24 hours. There is no way Myungsoo is leaving her alone after that.

She doesn’t cry in the car on the way there - but she doesn’t want to talk too, so Myungsoo just keeps his hand on her thigh.

She ignores it at first, then traces circles on his knuckles with her fingers.

They hold hands as they walk, Myungsoo holds the bag for her.

It’s the end of July, and the humidity and the heat is just unbearable. On top of everything, it’s drizzling outside, and there’s puddles everywhere on the way to the facility from the car.

She stops all of the sudden, and Myungsoo turns to her.

“I just— thank you. For doing this. For coming with me. You could’ve just disappeared and not deal with it. And unfriended me on facebook or something. I know a lot of guys who would do that.”

“I’m not ‘a lot of guys’, then.”

“Yeah, you’re not.”

She still doesn’t move from her spot. Myungsoo squeezes her hand.

She doesn’t squeeze back, but she furrows her eyebrows; “Did you really mean it? Having a baby with me?”

Myungsoo adjusts the bag on his shoulders. “Yeah.”

She nods and continues walking. Myungsoo follows suit, not breaking their hands.

They already see the clinic after they pass the corner.

Sungyeol stops again.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why would you want to have a baby with me— I mean, we don’t have the means, we both don’t work. We don’t have a place to raise the baby at. We don’t have college degrees, we’re not even married - what kind of future would the baby grow into?”

He’s not sure what did he do to make her angry, but she’s clearly raising her voice.

“Sungyeol, I’m studying for a degree in photography - no offence to the profession - but I sleep through most of my courses and still get plausible marks— honestly I’m sick of studying, I’m just staying there because you’re studying there - I’m probably going to inherit my dad’s company or something. And we can get married even after you give birth. I don’t care about the scandal - honestly, nobody cares, people nowadays don’t even know whose the father of their baby, for god’s sake. They’re going to gossip about it for a month, but then move onto the next big scandal. And I love kids. I’d be that cool young stay-at-home dad while you go pursue your architecture career. And my mom would help us babysit if we want to have a night off or something.”

She looks taken aback; “You really thought about this, huh?”

Myungsoo nods.

“It’s so careless, Myungsoo— you’re so careless. You’re younger than me, so you’re careless. And, god, why do you have to make everything seem so simple? It’s never going to be this simple. There’s going to be an actual child that will actually need time and effort and love, and our worlds would orbit around it.”

She walks past him and into the clinic.

The waiting room is freezing cold. Myungsoo thinks they cranked up the AC more because everybody are nervous and queasy and not because of the humidity. Sungyeol slips into her varsity jacket.

There’s a much older woman there, alone. She looks terrified.

Foreigner couple. They get called in first.

Sungyeol swallows thickly.

The clock is ticking so loudly in the room, and Myungsoo almost feels like everybody hear it thundering in their ears.

Somebody else comes into the doors.

A teenager and her mother. The mother goes to the reception, while the girl just sits there, her face red and wet and crinkled. She makes small hiccups and choking sounds as she tries to stifle her sobs.

At this point Myungsoo goes through either a claustrophobic episode, or some sort of anxiety breakdown; it’s like this weird weight pressing on him from all sides and he wants to just lay down in a fetal position and shut away from the world. He’s not sure if it’s fear or shock - it’s almost like a horror scene from a sad movie that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

He glances at Sungyeol.

Myungsoo can see her breathing is a little erratic, and puts his arm around her shoulders and tugs her toward himself. “Don’t look,” he tells her as he looks straight to the reception, where the mother of the girl is still filling in some forms, ignoring the sobs of the girl.

Sungyeol is frozen in his arms, as if all her limbs got locked in the same position and she can’t move them - he can feel her blinking as her eyelashes tickle his neck.

Then the door is opened and nurse calls out a name.

For a moment Myungsoo thinks she called out to them - but the older woman gets up from her chair. She pauses, swallows thickly and clenches her jaw before following the nurse inside.

Sungyeol follows her with her eyes, and then stares, unblinking, at the closed door.

She grabs Myungsoo’s hand, then - it happens really fast - and drags him past the crying girl and into the hallway.

She taps aggressively at the elevator button 7 times until it dings and opens.

“What are we doing?” Myungsoo asks. It’s going to be their turn next.

The grip she has on his wrist is really strong.

“Sungyeol?” He asks in the elevator.

She doesn’t say anything until they’re already outside, under the little roof that the clinic provided for the entrance.

It’s pouring outside really hard, and the rain is hitting mercilessly on the tin roof and the pavement.

She only stops then, and finally releases his hand. Myungsoo realizes it might actually leave a bruise.

“I can’t be in there.” She paces for a moment, then puts her hand through her hair.

Her breathing is fastened - but so is his.

“They’re going to call us next, and—”

“I know - I know they’re going to call us next! That’s why you have 3 minutes to convince me, that everything is going to be okay if I’ll bring this baby to this world.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes!” She’s exasperated and panicked and terrified - all at the same time, and Myungsoo finds that his expression probably mirrors hers. “If by the end of these 3 minutes I won’t be convinced that everything will be fine, we’re going in.”

If before there was nothing but twirling, pressing sorrow, now it’s replaced with bubbling rush that clenches inside his stomach and spreads throughout his body to the tips of his fingers. It’s almost like some sort of hysteria.

“Well?” She urges.

Myungsoo bites his lip; “I, alright - okay, let me just—” He puts his hand through his hair; “Well, I’ve said before, I’m going to be a stay at home dad, and my mom will help us take care of it. She doesn’t do anything anyway, she’s always with her flower arrangement class so—”

“I don’t care about you mom’s flower arrangement class, Myungsoo, okay?! If it is born - if this baby is out there, what kind of a life will it have with two uneducated parents that don’t have any income!”

“Sungyeol, my dad owns a chain of electronics stores all over the country - I had a trust fund since before I was even born. And let's say he goes bankrupt somewhere soon - by then you’ll already finish your degree and work as a successful architect—”

“You don’t know that—! And what if I don’t want to be one of those women who will give everything up for their career? Who would want to employ a teenage mom—”

“A brilliant teenage mom that will prove she’s ten thousand better than any other employee they ever had…? I can think of a few people who might - and you know what, it wouldn’t matter to the baby if its mom would be some big name architect or not, and it wouldn’t matter to the baby if we have a huge apartment or a stinking one-room studio apartment in the middle of nowhere - because we are good together, Sungyeol, and the baby will be happy with us.”

She turns away from him and wipes her eyes.

“Our baby is going to be loved and taken care of - and babies don’t need much more than that. They don’t really care if their parents buy yachats or work as waiters in a diner as long as they are loved.”

“That is such bullshit.” She says, but her voice is thin and calm. “Babies need diapers and they get sick and have hospital bills. And they want toys. And need to go to college. And they get bullied at school because their parents aren’t married.”

“Let’s get married, then.”

“I can’t get married to you, you're shorter than me in 2 centimeters.”

“Men still grow until 25 years old. And also I can burrow Woohyun’s insoles.”

She snorts.

He leaves the bag on the ground, and circles her, so they could face each other.

“You’re going to call me arrogant, but I think I can make you really happy. Both of you.”

“You are arrogant.” She’s chewing on her lip. “How do I know one day you’re not going to get sick of me and leave - get bored of playing house with me and move along to your next escapade?”

“What escapades, huh? The only escapade I’ve ever gone to, was related to you. And I’m pretty sure I proved to be the most persistent and patient guy in campus.” Myungsoo snorts, and kisses her forehead. Then her nose.

Their lips meet briefly - sweetly - and it’s so quiet on the street that there’s nothing but the sound of the rain tapping on the plastic roof.

“We should’ve brought an umbrella,” She says, and her eyelashes tickle Myungsoo’s cheeks.

 

.

 

The rest of the day is just as surreal.

Sungyeol says she wants to get married in the countryside - Myungsoo drives her to Suwon, and keeps saying things like; “look at all those trees, we must be already at the country-side, huh” and “wow, everything is so green, as expected of the countryside” even though Suwon is a city. At some point Sungyeol just tells him to shut up.

She tells him to stop at the first brand-name clothing store she sees; Myungsoo waits for her outside, leaning on his car while texting Woohyun. It’s weird because nobody knows about what's happening, it’s almost like Myungsoo is juggling two different worlds.

When she comes out, she’s in a white dress.

Sungyeol - she’s just so pretty.

She’s perfect.

The dress is short and trendy - not exactly a wedding dress - but she looks so amazing, the most beautiful girl in the world. His girl. His soon-to-be wife.

They make out inside his jeep for about an hour before Sungyeol finally decides they have to go.

The whole process is fairly simple. They have to fill in some forms. Present identification. And find a witness. The witness is a older man that came to complain about some sewer issue outside of his house.

After that they go to a local arcade and hog the photo booths.  They make so much pictures they don’t fit into Sungyeol’s purse, Sungyeol’s cheeks are pink with laughter and and her bangs are a little damp from sweat when they finish.

They make out in the bathroom, until Myungsoo’s head is dizzy, then go compete on racing cars.

They stay in some ridiculously cheap hotel, that has peeling pink wallpapers with flamingos on them. The bed creaks so hard when they’re having sex, Sungyeol can’t stop laughing, and when they flip a position, it breaks under their weight.

It’s not the romantic wedding night Myungsoo pictured - but somehow, it’s better, because Sungyeol looks happy, and she lies on top of his chest, still naked, and traces her long fingers down his skin.

 

.

 

They return back home in early morning, and Mijoo jolts in alert when she notices them in the room, because she had earphones in while studying.

Sungyeol sits on the couch first thing and reaches out to Myungsoo to sit next to her, so he does.

“You’re back early.” She says.

The reason for it, is because Myungsoo came out of the bathroom, Sungyeol was holding a pen and a notebook and she had already calculated all their expenses up until the baby will get married - she even measured differently for every gender. She claimed girls need much more money than boys, since they’re fashion aware, and they have periods and ‘that shit costs money’ - there were also other clauses, like ‘fangirling phase expenses’ which she striked through, while reading the list out loud to him. When he asked her why, she answered; “Well you never outgrew your anime phase, who says your son won’t…”

That was the moment, when Myungsoo had finally realized that the baby isn’t going anywhere now, that he or she are going to happen.

Before it was like a concept of it, but now it’s like it’s grown a little bigger.

“We got married in Suwon.” Sungyeol tells her.

She snorts, and puts her earphones back in, as if Sungyeol told a joke.

Sungyeol turns back at Myungsoo and gives him a sneaky little smile.

He returns it and gives her a peck on the nose.

 

.

 

The week after that they go back to Amy again and get another ultrasound done by the Nurse, Dongwoo.

The baby is 9 weeks old now. Myungsoo goes in with Sungyeol to the ultrasound. It looks much more like a baby than before. Sungyeol asks why does it have tiny dinosaur arms and such a huge head.

Dongwoo laughs and says it’s because it’s no longer an embryo, but now has officially become a fetus. He measures it, and it’s roughly the size of a cherry.

Myungsoo likes that.

Cherries.

He imagines the baby coming out all red and chubby, with a little stem on their tiny little head.

Myungsoo decides he wants a girl.

Sungyeol is exhausted when they finally reach his apartment, but continuously says she’s fine, as if she’s expected to entertain him.

Maybe she wanted to do something together, since ever they got married, all they ever did was talk about the baby and what the baby needs. All Myungsoo ever wanted was to be with her and around her all the time, and it frustrated him that she wanted alone time and that she needed to get used to the idea or that she wanted to leave things as they were at least in the meanwhile and not move into his apartment. So Myungsoo was reduced to sitting on “what to expect when you’re expecting” sites and parenthood blogs and reading articles about the magic of Sungyeol’s vajayjay.

And mind you, he thought it was already magical before reading all that crap.

She falls asleep on his couch, the minute he goes to the bathroom and doesn’t responds when he calls out to her. Usually she wakes up when somebody drops a pin on the floor.

Her breathing is soft and placid. She stirs a little when he sits next to her, and her shirt rides up on her belly.

He picks up some discarded pen from the coffee table, and draws a cherry with a stem near her belly button.

 

.

 

She gets craving the next week.

Besides the constant need to pee and being unusually stubborn (even for her) - it’s the first sign of pregnancy, so Myungsoo is a little excited.

She buys honey mustard and she puts it on everything. Even on kimchi. Myungsoo buys her more honey mustard after she says she’s out of that one, and after he comes from a class to see how she’s doing, she has a bowl with honey mustard - nothing but honey mustard, literally just a bowl filled with sauce - and she eats out of it with a spoon, as if it’s soup.

Also whenever they’re out, she points at the greasiest, most fattening, biggest thing on the menu (and asks if they have honey mustard with it).

One time they’re having a movie night with Mijoo and Soojung, and they bring a bucket of ice cream. Instead of watching the movie, she sneaks out and pours ketchup on her chocolate ice-cream. Myungsoo watches as he makes a relieved face as she eats it, as if it’s some divine delicacy.

But food isn’t the only cravings she gets.

She likes the smell behind Myungsoo’s ear. Myungsoo isn’t sure why that smell is better than anywhere else in his body, but she wants to fall asleep in a spot where she can sniff it. It takes a few times to finally find the position that isn’t awkward and painful, but just right for the both of them.

She loves the smell of the freshly shaved grass, of ink, milk, paint and of Myungsoo's cologne. She even texts him to report beside her class door in 5 minutes, comes out to sniff him and give him a cute small peck before returning back to class.

Myungsoo wonders if that’s how he behaved when he constantly sniffed her back when they just started seeing each other.

She sends him a text in 4 am on Wednesday. Obviously he’s asleep - she also sent him home, after he disagreed with her about something stupid, so he went to bed upset - so she calls.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah.” She pauses; “I didn’t think you were awake.”

“I wasn’t - I just keep it turned on now, in case you need something.”

She stays silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry Myungsoo - this is probably… not how you envisioned it.”

“How I envisioned what?”

“Our marriage.”

Myungsoo takes a large inhale; “Well, yeah, I kind of wanted a really long honeymoon.”  He snorts; “But I’m fine if you want to finish the semester first. We can do it sometime later.”

“It’s not that—Just…” There’s rustles and then she sighs. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“It’s okay - I don’t even remember what we fought about.”

“Me too.”

They stay silent again on the line.

Myungsoo decides it’s probably time to say goodnight, but before he can, she says; “I don’t like being apart from you. It’s just that _before_ , I felt like I’m getting used to you too fast, and that I had no guarantee that you’ll stay. And now I’m just being stubborn—”

“Stubborn is an understatement.”

“Shush. My point is - I don’t like being apart from you.”

“I don’t like being apart from you, either. I want to spend every minute of my day with you.”

Myungsoo isn’t sure how long it takes her to finally say something, but when she does, she’s tells him; “Want to come over?”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I feel frisky.”

“Okay.”

She opens the door for him, in nothing but an oversized shirt and tells him to be quiet - it’s almost dawn by then, and the dorms are so silent he can hear nothing but her breath and the hum of the refrigerator.

She whispers; “I don’t have any panties on.” in his ear after he kisses her. Unfortunately for Mijoo, they don’t make it to Sungyeol’s room.

 

.

 

Sungyeol aces her exams on her fourth month of pregnancy.

Myungsoo half-asses his exams and projects, like he always does.

For weeks, all Sungyeol did was study, nose tucked into her book, or stressing about what she did wrong and other things that were related to her grades, the way it usually happens to every college student during finals. Her birthday comes and goes. Myungsoo buys her a ring. A fancy, big ring with a huge diamond. Mijoo and Jiae flock around her like hungry vultures with “did he propose, did he propose” but she keeps telling them that they’re already married and they don’t believe her, and she doesn’t really cares enough to convince them that they are.

Then, it all ends abruptly as it comes. Just yesterday she was pressed about finishing some extra credit project (even though she barely needed it) and today, they have breakfast at a small cafe near campus, and hold hands, and she’s wearing a baby blue blouse that makes her look like she’s in the midst of a photoshoot.

The halls are empty and they walk hand in hand.

It’s bitter-sweet, because Myungsoo won’t be back next semester. He was always into photography - but it turned out a huge bore to study it. He wished somebody told him that before he started (well, his parents told him that “it’s not a profession”, but he always thought he knew better). He felt like he wasted two years out of his life on absolutely nothing.

He didn’t digest yet that he and Sungyeol are going to have a family.

Besides her crazy cravings, there isn’t much a change, and although the time they spend together increased, it still feels the same as it used to be during the months prior to having a baby. They also didn’t tell anybody yet, although Mijoo was starting to suspect.

That’s why it feels strange and alien - like something that didn’t quite settle with him.

They need to sign some forms - Myungsoo signs for termination and Sungyeol for Academic Leave.

She takes her time with hers. After Myungsoo hands out his, she’s still scribbling something on the page.

When he comes closer, he sees she’s hesitating over “Motive” section.

He’s sure she’s going to write “personal reasons” but in the end she writes “unexpected pregnancy + incompetent husband breathing down my neck as we speak.” She turns around with a sly little smirk, and Myungsoo snorts and looks away. She erases it, but leaves the Motive section blank.

 

.

 

The next day they go back to the clinic for another check up - and hopefully to find out the baby’s sex.

They were actually supposed to find out earlier, but during that time, the Dongwoo said that he can’t tell yet, and then they had exam period.

Myungsoo wants to talk to her about moving her to a more prestigious facility, that’s closer to his apartment, but she keeps insisting she wants that lady doctor and nobody else.

Amy and Dongwoo are married, and they’re running the clinic together, along with some associates. Sungyeol and Amy just click for some reason, and get excited together about baby clothes. Amy and Dongwoo have twin boys, so she tells her that if she has a boy, she can give her piles of baby clothes. Myungsoo guesses that it because of that.

It’s a girl.

They both stare at the monitor, and don’t say anything for a long while.

“We’re going to call her Cherry! ” Myungsoo exclaims - it comes out a little louder than expected and shrill, but there’s this bubbling excitement that feels like it’s going to burst him open unless he says it.

“Common stripper name. Well, at least it’s not after your favourite anime character.” Sungyeol scolds, but doesn’t take her eyes off the monitors.  
Dongwoo thinks it’s funny.

He prints them the ultrasound and Sungyeol stares at it on the way home.

“She already has legs and arms and everything.” She says when Myungsoo makes an exit from the highway back to Seoul.

“Yeah.” Myungsoo agrees, still excited. “Should we tell somebody now?”

“Well, not to my parents. We’ll just tell them when the baby is born.”

Myungsoo snorts; “What - Don’t you think they’ll be suspicious of your huge belly?”

“I’ll tell them I got fat.”

“Why don’t you want to tell them?”

“Because I know them - they’ll think it’s a huge scandal and we need to get rid of it. And also I didn’t finish university yet - I’ll be like this huge shame they’ll need to hide.”

“Nobody is going to make you abort it - you’re an adult now, and you’re my wife.”

She sniffs; “My mom is going to give my phone number to every adopting agency or organization out there, and they’ll do anything they can to convince me that I’m ruining my life by having a baby so early.”

“Wow—” Myungsoo is glancing at her by she’s looking out of the window. “You’re parents aren’t that bad, I’m sure if we’ll just explain to them—”

“I don’t want to tell them - Okay? Let’s just tell your parents first. At least they’ll assume I’m just your regular gold digger - I should wear leopard tights and do these fake long nails that you can’t do shit with, so I’ll fit the part. And chew on a gum. That’s just who I am now.” She wipes her eyes; “And then they’re going to convince you to divorce me. And take the baby. And then you’ll be married to some pretty heiress that doesn’t eat hamburgers coated with honey mustard at 3 am in the morning.”

“Jesus christ, Sungyeol!” He’s not sure if to laugh or to be scandalized, but by now she’s clearly crying with huge tear drops coming out of her eyes.

“They’re going to fish out my body from the han river, and nobody will recognize my body because I won’t have anybody, I’ll be buried like a Jane Doe!” She screams.

Myungsoo parks the car in the first available space and hugs her.

She cries hysterically with hiccups for another five minutes, saying how they don’t have anything planned and they don’t even have a place for the baby to live in and how she feels like it’s not her body anymore and she can’t control anything.

Myungsoo doesn’t say anything but lets her cry it all out. He read about this in the New Parents site - that women get cranky and moody.

It was weird when Sungyeol’s doing it, obviously, because she was always the level headed between the two of them.

In the end he ends up crying, too, because he keeps reassuring her that nobody will ever separate them and that they will be the most happy family in the world, and it feels like a tragic scene where everybody are against them and they only have each other.

Then Sungyeol wipes her snot and decides they should have sex.

Which is stupid really, because right in the middle of it, a police car stops next to them, and Sungyeol can’t even find her panties.

Once the officer understands by their red faces and disheveled, hastily-worn clothes that they don’t need any help, Myungsoo drives off as quickly as possible.

Sungyeol starts laughing the minute the window is closed, just as hysterically as she cried.


	2. Chapter 2

Sungyeol is so nervous about meeting Myungsoo’s parents that Myungsoo gets worried about the baby. It’s a different kind of stress than her exam anxiety, and she just cries throughout the entire ride there, and reapplies her makeup in the car.

Then they go over the plan again, because going over plans relaxes her. 

They’re not going to say anything about Sungyeol’s pregnancy or their marriage, but just meet each other and have a nice, relaxed dinner. Sungyeol wants to do this gradually. 

Sungyeol also makes him wear his nicest button up, which is stuffy and tight and Myungsoo doesn’t get what’s the big deal. It’s his family, for christ’s sake. He can walk around in Adidas sweats and they won’t bat an eyes.  

His mom looks as if he didn’t tell her he’s bringing his girlfriend over, when she opens the door.

In fact, she’s wearing her usual pajama clothes, and she looks dumbfounded by the fact that there is an  _ actual  _ girl and that she  _ actually  _ came over.

She scurries away to dress up.

“You’re not gay?” Moonsoo feigns shock. “Who would’ve thought.” 

“Get over yourself, will you?” Myungsoo takes Sungyeol’s coat and goes to hang it. 

He hears Moonsoo saying; “Is he paying you to do this? Blink twice if yes.” 

“He might as well - but that would be counterproductive, even if he did.” Sungyeol replies.

“What? What is it then? Did you lose a bet?” 

“He’s not that bad.” She pauses; “He knows how to cook. And he’s handsome. He’s just sensitive.” 

“‘ _ He’s just sensitive _ ’. Yuck. Did he give you something to eat? He might have drugged you - I can hold him while you run away—”

Myungsoo pushes him out of spite, and Moonsoo pushes him back, harder. 

Myungsoo rubs the sore spot. It’s going to leave a bruise. His little brother was always much more aggressive than him. Almost always while fighting as kids, Myungsoo would just do what he wants in order to avoid confrontation - now that he’s grown-up, he’s just downright hostile.

His mom is sitting in her favourite fancy Louis Vuitton dress, pretending the person in the pajamas wasn’t even her but one of the maids, and dad looks really uncomfortable but tries to make the most of it, by ordering their cook to make 3 desserts.

His mom and his dad take turns questioning Sungyeol and Moonsoo keeps making inappropriate sarcastic comments, and then his mom also brings his baby album.

At this point he feels like crying, especially when she shows him that picture where he and Moonsoo were measuring whose penis is bigger when he was like seven (why would she even take pictures of that?!). Even Moonsoo asks her to stop at this point, but she’s beyond help once she’s on her second glass of wine. 

Myungsoo decides to have some wine too. 

“So Sungyeol, what do your parents do?” Myungsoo’s dad asks from one side of the table.

“My dad is a lawyer. Mom is a teacher at a local junior high in Yongin.”

“In what firm does your dad work? Maybe I know it.” 

“Darling, why do you question her as if she’s under a police investigation?” His mom returns. 

“No, it’s alright.” Sungyeol says; “It’s Choi Group Law Firm. It’s also located in Yongin.” 

“Oh, this is Myungsoo on his first day of kindergarten! He didn’t want to go and the teacher said he cried all day!” His mom stretches out a new photo for Sungyeol to see.

“Mom - please stop showing her pictures; don’t you think she’s overwhelmed as it is?”

“Oh, I remember that day, Hyung pissed his pants while wailing that he wanted to go back home.” Moonsoo says while cutting some meat the maid just put on the table.

“No, I didn’t - Moonsoo, you can’t possibly remember that, you were a two year old baby.” Myungsoo counters.

“Here, look at this one too. Don’t you think Myungsoo was the cutest baby ever?” 

“I was a baby, but I remember that day, and you pissed you pants.” Moonsoo decides. 

“Fuck you, I did not.” 

“Language, Myungsoo.” Father warns across the table, more preoccupied with the meat the maids just served.

“If you marry him, you’re going to have even prettier children, imagine that.” 

Sungyeol bites her lip, and sniffles again. 

Everybody stop everything they’re doing and stare at her. 

She wipes her tear really quickly; “I’m sorry - Myungsoo was just such a cute baby - and…” She trails off. 

Myungsoo bites the inside of his cheek and wonders if she’s thinking about baby Cherry, floating around in her belly. 

He finds her hand under the table and interlaces it with his own, and she squeezes really tight. 

Myungsoo’s heart beats really fast. 

He’s pretty sure that his mom noticed that, because she sits so close to Sungyeol - she looks really smug about it, too.

“Oh, honey - there there.” She hugs her. “Here, have some wine. And eat something, you didn’t touch your food.” 

Moonsoo is mouthing “she’s crazy” to their father, and Myungsoo kicks him under the table. 

“Oh, now I remembered!” Moonsoo’s retaliation is verbal, so it’s probably something worse than a kick on his leg. “You pissed your pants at the dentist when you were eight because you were scared of the dentist.”

Myungsoo doesn’t even reply to him because Sungyeol is about to drink of the wine. He puts the glass back onto the table before finally returning; “Really, you can’t find any other topic to discuss during dinner?” 

“Moonsoo, your brother is right.” Dad comes to the rescue; “Oh, Sungyeol, I forgot to ask you, do you go to Myungsoo’s university? What do you study there?” 

“Architecture.” 

“Oh! Finally a profession! Both of my sons choose to do useless subjects! Photography and Music!”

“Well you can’t do anything with photography, but there’s plenty to do with music.” Moonsoo says while he’s chewing. 

“Pry tell, what can you do with a degree in Music? Prance around in shiny clothes in Hongdae with a guitar?”

It’s like their dad actually pretends they need a degree in something to take over the business.

Myungsoo laughs, and lowers Sungyeol’s cup to the table again when she picks it up. At this point she glares at him. 

When Moonsoo doesn’t answer, his father turns back to Sungyeol; “As I was saying - Sungyeol, and how are your grades? Good, I suppose?”

“She’s an ace in her class. She had straight As this semester, and even got a scholarship for excellence.” Myungsoo gloats because he knows Sungyeol will humble herself down. She was just going for the wine out of his reach, but he takes it away from her. 

“Myungsoo, what’s the matter with you? let the girl drink a little! She’s clearly nervous, poor thing.” His mother scolds. 

“She’s nervous because you’re making her nervous! And she’s not allowed to drink.” 

“I am allowed to drink a tiny bit, Myungsoo, stop exaggerating.” 

“Why can’t she drink?” His father asks, this time. 

“Maybe it’s because he picked her up at a deranged hospital? I heard they’re not allowed to drink there—”

“One more word, and you’re going to hospital yourself—”

His mom is already giving Sungyeol another cup of different wine; “Here you go, deary, have some red wine instead of the white, it has less alcohol—”

“SUNGYEOL IS PREGNANT!” 

Even the maid heard that - The conversation was fast and he needed to be gaurded from 3 fronts, and now that it’s quiet, Myungsoo’s ears almost screech at the silence. 

A piece of meat falls out of Moonsoo’s mouth and makes a splattering sound when it hits the table. 

“And yes, it’s mine - in case you were wondering. And we’re having the baby. That’s why she can’t have wine, that’s why she’s emotional, and that’s why she came today for dinner. And you had to act okay for one night - one night - and you couldn’t even do that!” He takes the wine glass from his mom and puts it on the table aggressively. 

Some of it spills. 

He understands later that he is shit at keeping secrets. 

He paces around restlessly the door of the drawing room, where his mom locked herself with Sungyeol, and thinks about what sort of crap she is telling her right now. Earlier his dad came to talk to him, he even opened his mouth to say something, but then he just raised his hands, and let them fall, as if he is done and has nothing else to say. 

He sits down on the stairs, puts his forehead on his knees and closes his eyes. 

If his mom even mentions an abortion to her, he will never step inside this house again. She was a nervewreck as it is, and now this. And on top of it, he just had to blurt it out like that, like the world’s biggest idiot.

“Hyung,” 

He looks up. 

His younger brother got his hands in his pockets. 

“Sorry—I was…”

“Such a douchebag?” 

“Yeah.” He sits beside him on the stairs. “They’re still in there?” 

“Yup.” 

“She’s probably showing her more baby pictures.” 

“At least I can’t hear her crying, which is a good sign.”

“Did you really knocked her up? Or is she just saying that because you’re well-off? Because I know you’re such a softie—”

“Yes, I knocked her up, Moonsoo, just get over it.” At this point he just gets up and rubs his face in frustration. 

“Sorry.” He says again. “I’m just— I don’t know if you noticed, since you’re not used to girls that aren’t anime style—”

“Do you want to get hit, or what?!”

“—but Sungyeol is really hot. Like I’d give her a 10. That’s why I was surprised that you —I always thought that I’m the ladies man among the two of us, and there you go, bringing the most amazing creature and saying she’s your girlfriend—”

“My wife. We got married in June.”

Moonsoo looks almost stupefied, but before he can react his mom opens the door.

She is hugging Sungyeol. Sungyeol’s cheeks are wet, and her nose is red. 

“Alright, then. Take her home, Myungsoo. She needs a lot of rest right now. Week 15 was very stressful when I was carrying you, and I’m sure it’s even more stressful for Sungyeol.”

In the car Myungsoo holds onto her hand all the time and doesn’t let it go, but he eventually can’t handle it and asks what did his mom want with her for so long. 

“Your mom is really nice.” Is all she says. When he urges to say more, she sighs; “She asked me if I really wanted to have a baby so young. And talked to me about pregnancy. And her pregnancy with you. And she told me she always wanted a daughter. So I told her she’s going to have a granddaughter, and we both started crying. It was like a bad cheesy drama nobody bothers to watch. And your brother also thinks I’m a freak.” 

“He actually was jealous that I brought a hot girl home.” 

“No, he wasn’t.”

Myungsoo snorts; “Yeah. He was.”

“I still look hot…?” It’s supposed to be a rhetorical question.

And Myungsoo snorts; “He gave you a 10. The only other person who ever got a 10 from him was Jessica Alba. He used to be obsessed with her after he watched the Fantastic Four.” 

“That movie was horrible.” 

“I know, right?” 

They both snicker.

 

.

  
  
  
  


Week 18 and week 19 of Sungyeol’s pregnancy are spent in Bali, Indonesia.

It’s probably the most amazing vacation Myungsoo had ever went to. 

Although Sungyeol originally wanted to do hiking and go see places, they spend those two weeks taking long naps, eating and having sex. 

They stroll around the beach at night and Sungyeol wears light dresses and bikinis that are easy to take off. They also go sightseeing, but they’re always back to the hotel by nightfall. 

And it’s great. 

They talk a lot, and also decide a lot of things - they don’t mention Cherry as much as expected, but for Myungsoo it feels like time stopped from moving, and this moment was just theirs and nobody else’s. 

Myungsoo isn’t sure how he convinces her to go, because during week 17 all she does is complain about how bloated she is, and how fat she got. 

Fat would be a huge overstatement. She’s still fairly skinny - perhaps it shows only in a soft roundness of her face, in thighs and hip lines that feel supple under his touch. And of course, there’s her growing belly. It’s showing now - not big enough to be called pregnant, but it’s there, a prodding little hill Myungsoo can rest his hand on when he spoons her.

On the day before they leave back home, after he finishes, he stays inside of her a little longer. 

She’s catching her breath, chest rising and falling heavily. Their hands are intertwined above her head, and he releases one of them to traces his hand down her figure. 

He bends down to kiss her, and she giggles; “Hey, mind the baby!”

“Sorry~” He retreats a little, pulls out and taps Sungyeol’s belly. “Sorry, Cherry. Appa didn’t squash you, did he? What kind of fruit is she this week?” 

“A mango.” 

“Wow, so big already!” Myungsoo leans down more carefully, holding himself above her this time with his elbows and kisses her collar bones.

She sighs.

“I feel like - Don’t you feel like when we return, everything is going to change?” 

Myungsoo takes a large inhale, and finds her eyes; “Well, yeah - we’re starting a family together, so, yeah, our life will revolve around her.” He runs his hands over her hair, putting her damp bangs out of her forehead. 

“Myungsoo…?” 

“Hmm?” 

“In high school, before I met you. I had a boyfriend and—”

Myungsoo groans because he doesn’t like hearing about anything that happened before him, especially her exes. He slumps beside her. 

“No, you wanna hear this —” She scoots closer and puts her chin on his chest; “He was this… perfect guy. Also with straight As. And he also had everything planned. He was going to be a doctor.  His parents also adored me. And I just - I thought  _ this is it _ . So after we got our college applications - I told him that it’d be great if I got pregnant before college. Because I always thought, well - I don’t know. I always wanted to have kids young, instead of when I’m much older with a career and all that. It wasn’t even like something on my wishlist, it was just this thought I had at the back of my head and I said it out loud - anyways, I think I really frightened him. We broke up later that week. I think that’s also why he went to another university.” 

“Is that why you have commitment issues?” 

She hits him with a pillow. “I do not have commitment issues, you have stupidity issues so I didn’t want to date you.” 

“I’m the most handsome guy on campus - so I don’t think it matters if I’m stupid or not. Our children will automatically have superior genes - Besides, you can be smart for both of us.” 

“I’m sorry intelligence matters to me, and I didn’t want to date an artsy-fartsy otaku. Also you’re short.” 

“What— I’m not short! We have two centimeters apart! You make it sound like I barely reach your shoulders. And you know what, whatever you say, you can’t do anything about it now. I’m your husband now. So I win.”

“Win what? I didn’t realize we were having a competition.” 

“Win this— _ win _ you. You’re all mine now. Even though I’m 2 centimeters shorter and an otaku and I pee with my door opened.”

She snorts, and reaches out to put her hand in his hair; “What I’m trying to say is that I know it looks like I’m just… sort of going with the flow and having this baby because of circumstances. The point of that story is that I don’t care if you’re an otaku or you don’t have straight As and you’re not a doctor - I do care that you pee with your door open, but that’s just beyond the point - I want to have  _ this  _ baby. And I’m really happy that it’s  _ your  _ baby. I want to have  _ your  _ baby. I’m glad that I broke up with that guy and I’m glad that I met you.” 

This is the first time Sungyeol had ever told him his feelings up front. Myungsoo actually doesn’t know what to say because it catches him off guard. 

“Also, I know I come off cold sometimes, but… I love you, too. You know that, right?” She puts her hand on his cheek, and Myungsoo bites his lip, and tries not to cry.  

“I love you.” He kisses her nose, but stays close enough to feel her breathe. 

It’s hot, and the window is opened, and he can hear the ocean. He kisses her forehead and her cheeks and her jaw and lips. 

  
  


.

 

When they return back to Korea, Sungyeol’s friends, Mijoo, Soojung and Jiae corner her and make her spill the beans. 

Myungsoo isn’t present during this, but Sungyeol tells him that it was very emotional and everybody cried and promised to take turns to babysit cherry and help them as much as they possibly can.

After that, they decide to tell everybody. 

“I knew something was wrong when you weren’t coming out of your cave - now that crazy amazon woman got you by the balls, man. Good luck.” Hoya says, then ducks when Sungyeol tries to punch him. She still lands one on him, before he is able to run away to his class.

“How do you know it’s not just some sexually transmitted disease like Stupidity? You do know that Stupidity is contagious, right? At least this is going to be my thesis in college - Hey can I write my thesis about you, guys? You’re going to be great subjects.” Is Sungjong’s reply when they come to meet him in a cafe during the afternoon.

Woohyun and Sunggyu prove to be even more difficult because they both just sit there with their mouths ajar, after they tell them that.

“Well, now it’s official. You are the most irresponsible, stupid people I know. I’d tell you not to reproduce, but I guess it’s too late now.” Sunggyu finally says.

“Hyung, don’t say that, it makes me feel conscious for not having a womb.” Woohyun says, then leans down the table to Sungyeol; “So now that you’re going to need money for raising the baby, can I interest you in being our surrogate mother?” 

He gets hit by both Sungyeol and Sunggyu for that.

Sunggyu then also goes on a really long lecture about how counterproductive it is to have a child so early in today’s society and how all they had to do is use condoms and they didn’t even get that right.

After coming back to Myungsoo’s apartment, Sungyeol takes off her pants because she says they are tight on her, and eats her Mocha flavoured ice-cream right out of the box; “Screw them, who the hell do they think they are to tell us how to live our lives?!” 

“Yeah!” Myungsoo agrees while massaging her legs. 

“That Sunggyu guy is getting on my nerves. Talking about tuition and shit. Who cares about tuition. We’re going to have a goddamn baby, would it kill you to smile and pat our backs or something?!” She waves her spoon at Myungsoo warningly, as if this is her first time meeting Sunggyu and he’s not somebody who she used to look up for since he helped her during their freshmen year. (Before he got together with Woohyun,  Myungsoo was actually scared that Sungyeol might be crushing on him and whenever he’d heard them attending an event together, he’d magically appear in the neighborhood and hover around Sungyeol obsessively, whether they were dating or not). 

“We can afford her tuition too, coz technically we have enough money…” Myungsoo says. Especially since last week, after the bank finally authorized their shared account, Sungyeol did a huge excel table, and sat with a calculator to count what they can and can’t afford. 

For example, buying an house - not affordable. An apartment - not recommended, since they both aren’t working. So long term rent, it is. She even narrowed down the best rent areas in Seoul, by criteria of “good neighborhood”, “price range”, and “proximity to Campus/City center”.

“Yeah - we don’t cares what they think.” She feeds him a spoonful of ice-cream, which he gladly takes. He still prefers Vanilla over this, but marriage is all about compromises. 

  
  


.

  
  


The next few weeks run by pretty fast.

Most days they are on a hunt for an apartment - and boy, oh boy, Sungyeol is a picky chooser. 

Some apartments don’t have enough light - Cherry can’t live in constant darkness.

Other apartments don’t have big rooms - Cherry needs space.

Some apartments look rundown, and some apartments look too modern and some apartments’ rooms aren’t aligned correctly like she wants them to be. 

On days they’re not apartment shopping, Myungsoo’s moms comes over with her endless advices and superstitions. She brings special herb teas, and tells her to put “talismans” underneath her pillow that are supposed to protect pregnant women - the talisman apparently needs to have a lock of  _ Myungsoo’s public hair  _ inside of it to work properly, so one night Myungsoo wakes up with his pants down and Sungyeol trimming him down there. Sungyeol thinks it’s hilarious, that she nearly trims everywhere and Myungsoo feels naked down there for a few days. 

She also buys a shit tons of maternity and parenting books. Myungsoo has to read some too. 

She goes with Jiae to buy new bras - but Myungsoo only notices after sex one day, that the biggest change on her body isn’t just her belly.

They were having their past-coitus make-out session, and his hand was just ascending up her body, when he finds her left breast. 

He stops the kiss and looks back; “Wait a minute—” He sits back, so he could see her full naked body again. He furrows his eyebrows, and then taps on the sides of her breasts. 

Woohyun and hoya always called her ‘the flat tall chick myungsoo’s banging’ - woohyun would always add in ‘ridiculously’ before the tall, because for him anybody taller than Sunggyu is  **_ridiculously_ ** tall (even Myungsoo). Almost as if Sunggyu is some height gate-keeper. 

But no more of that - now they feel like water balloons in his hands, jiggly and warm - even while she’s lying down. They’re so perky. 

She moans; “Hey, quit that, they’re sore as it is.” 

“Oh my god, Sungyeol, you have anime tits.” 

“If you say that again I swear to god, I will divorce your sorryass.” 

“Look how big they are— it’s crazy.”

“Stop squeezing them like that!” She sounds really disgruntled when she says that, so Myungsoo immediately removes his hands - but then she sighs, and seems to regret her outburst so she says; “I could use some boob massage - but be gentle - I mean it when I say they’re sore.” 

“Where are they sore?” 

“Just everywhere. Especially on the nipples part.”

Myungsoo squeezes gently.

Wow. 

Oh - that’s just amazing. 

“I wish you could see the faces you’re making, you look like you’re uncovering the secrets to the universe.” 

“It’s even better than anime boobs - because they’re real. And I can touch them.”

She finds what he says amusing.

“Huh.” He says, testing the way they feel inside his hand when he kneads them. 

“Huh what?” 

“Somehow I expected milk to come out if I squeeze harder.” 

“I don’t think it’s time for that yet - and stop watching weird Japanese porn.”

“When it’s time, can I also have a taste?” 

“Do you know how  _ creepy  _ does that sound?” 

“Don’t  _ you  _ want to know how it tastes like?” 

She furrows her eyebrows and crinkles her nose. “Sometimes I think Sungjong was right about contagious stupidity.” 

“I bet if Sungjong had milk inside his man boobs, he would’ve wanted to have a taste too.” Myungsoo argues.

 

.

 

Sungyeol’s belly continues to grow; from the length of a carrot - Cherry grows to be as big as a Papaya fruit - and from there to an average Eggplant.

His little Cherry is already an Eggplant. How does she fit inside Sungyeol small belly is beyond him. During that week Sungyeol is constantly worried that she doesn’t feel her kick or shift, but Dongwoo assures her that it’s different with every woman.

Week 26 becomes even more stressful for her because of the move. 

Both Sunggyu, Woohyun and Hoya help them out with the furniture. Sungjong and Mijoo, come to stand and judge them while they carry the boxes in - and Jiae just sits there with a soju bottle and keeps yelling things like; “I better get fed after this, I worked so hard” and “Why are you guys so slow? By the time you move that sofa, Sungyeol is going to have her baby already!”

Amy and Dongwoo, their doctors - mistake the housewarming party day, and arrive minute before the pizza arrives.

They sit there on the floor of the new apartment and eat the pizza. 

Hoya is being an asshole and asks Dongwoo about Sungyeol’s vagina since Myungsoo doesn’t want to share. Dongwoo replies that since he’s married, every vagina looks about the same beside his wife’s vagina, “which is the best vagina ever.” he adds, a second too late. 

But Amy accepts it; “You passed the test.” She says, and makes the room erupt into laughter. 

“Sungyeol’s vagina is magical, I assure you. And that’s all you have to know.” Myungsoo says proudly, but when he looks for Sungyeol she’s in the kitchen pouring some honey mustard on her Pizza. 

Her latest crave was actually wakame Salad, and she’d just go buy a buckets of it and eat it day and night with cucumbers - she didn’t have honey mustard for quite a while now. 

Myungsoo knows there’s something wrong, because she stops with the bottle midair and doesn’t move. 

Then, very slowly, she puts down the bottle, and her expression is weird. 

He rushes over before even thinking, and by the time he reaches her, his heart is pounding in his ears. 

“Is something wrong?” 

She sharply turns on him, and puts her hand on her belly - then gives him a small smile; “No - not wrong - I think she’s…” She pauses and rubs her belly through the sweater. 

“She’s what?”

“Sungyeol, if you’re feeling unwell, lay down, I will take your blood pressure.” 

Myungsoo looks back to see that he startled everybody, and that now everybody are looking over, and Dongwoo and Amy stood up.

“I’m feeling fine!” She says, then snorts, then takes Myungsoo’s hand and puts it on her belly. “I think Cherry likes Pizza.” 

At first there’s nothing, but then there’s weird shift underneath Myungsoo’s hand. A pressure against the wall of Sungyeol’s belly. 

“Is she stretching…? Oh—Is that her hand? Her leg?”

Within the moment, everybody are in the kitchen, try to feel up Sungyeol’s belly. Sungyeol doesn’t seem too happy about it, but Cherry keeps on stretching and fidgeting about for long minutes, as if dancing in happiness for receiving some pizza. 

When they go to bed, Myungsoo tells Sungyeol that Cherry is just like her Appa, and she likes Pizza and sleeping.

  
  


.

  
  


The new apartment needs everything, starting from more furnitures and finishing in paint.

Especially baby furnitures.

Right now their whole world revolves around Cherry, and it’s all they ever want to talk about, and Myungsoo notices that it makes Sungyeol feel really disconnected with her friends. 

It’s the end of the semester, and the girls come to visit her just before they go to a party, all dolled up in miniskirts and high heels. 

Sungyeol can’t even look at her high-heels because her feet are constantly puffy and nothing tight ever fits her anymore because of the belly.

She did gain a bit more of weight, but Myungsoo wasn’t really the kind who’d obsess over her figure - she has a very beautiful pregnancy in his opinion, she always looks like she’s glowing. Some of the women who come to Amy’s clinic always circle Sungyeol like hungry hyenas since she looks great while they have foam coming out of their mouths. 

It’s weird to see her having more in common with a 30 yr old lady than with Mijoo - and it makes her feel weird too. 

Her friends still go to parties and worry about diets and what blouse to wear to impress some guy - but she needs to plan when she’ll need to gradually stop breastfeeding and switch to bottles so she could get back to school properly. 

It makes Myungsoo tense. Especially when he sees her expression after they tell her they can’t come with her to shop for baby clothes because they’re going to a beer festival in Incheon. 

When he asks her about it, she leans down the headboard of the bed; “It’s fine - It’s to be expected, afterall. I’m going to be a mom soon, so obviously we’re going to have different lifestyles.”

“Cherry, your mom is a saint.” Myungsoo says to the belly.

“And your dad is an asshole.”

Myungsoo puts his hands on both of the sizes of her belly; “Don’t curse in front of our child.”

“It’s not a curse if it’s the truth.” 

Myungsoo huffs and lowers himself back to her belly. “There, there, cherry. Mommy doesn’t mean it.” 

Sungyeol snorts and rubs her belly again; “I think she can tell when you’re talking to her.”

“What? Seriously?” Myungsoo puts his hand on her belly; “Cherry, can you hear Appa?” 

He can feel her then, like she’s feeling up the walls of Sungyeol’s belly, to reach out to him.

“Of course, you can. You’re going to be Appa’s little girl.”

Sungyeol sighs and puts her hand into his hair. 

“A lot of times… I wonder if I’m doing -  **_we’re_ ** doing the right thing. I’d feel stupid if I’d be pretending not to regret anything. But… sometimes…” She stops putting her hand through his hair, and he looks up to her. She has this fond smile on her feature; “You just look so happy.”

“I am happy.” Myungsoo nods.

She continues caressing his hair. 

Myungsoo feels like a kitten that’s just been fed. 

  
  


.

  
  


On Sunday, Sungyeol decides that she’s going to tell her mom. 

She wears a tight shirt - but her most loose coat and tight jeans which she just doesn’t bother zipping. 

Her parents are both home, and her little brother went out with his friends. 

Sungyeol refuses to take off her coat when her mom offers it and goes into the livingroom, towing Myungsoo after her.

“Mom, Dad - this is Kim Myungsoo, my husband.” She didn’t even sit down yet. 

Both of her parents stare at them with wide comical eyes. 

Sungyeol definitely takes after her mom.

When they don’t say anything, she takes off her coat; “I’m also pregnant. Here, belly as proof. I took an academic leave from school - so don’t worry about scandals.”

Myungsoo thinks it goes relatively  _ well  _ from there. 

Sungyeol’s mom just faints, and her father starts cussing. 

At one point, he’s sure her father is going to beat him up, but his fight is with Sungyeol and nobody else. They don’t ever include him in the argument, beside her father naming him things. Like when he yells things like; “I can’t believe you also got married to this pale little shrimp! My daughter should know better than that!”

He blames her for ruining her future, mostly, and when she tells him about their plans, he refuses to listen. 

Myungsoo apologizes before Sungyeol drags him by the hand out of the house and into his car. 

It could’ve been worse. 

Right?

Sungyeol also convinces him it went well in the car.

She’s been so emotional the past few weeks, that he almost expected her to break down and cry.

She doesn’t. 

She wants to stop at some drive-through and orders double portion of frozen yogurt with risens and white chocolate. 

Then they sit in the car underneath their new building, because there’s a hale storm outside.

“Don’t look so worried, Myungsoo. My dad is always like that. He wants things to go his way or no way at all. He’ll come around when he’ll understand he wants to see his grandchild. If he doesn’t, his loss.”

“I thought —” Myungsoo takes a long nervous inhale; “I don’t know— I thought you’re scared of telling them.” 

“I was, actually.” She makes a face; “Somehow I always dealt with the two of them by myself, and I felt ambushed and pushed to corner. Because you were there it was easier. I just put them to the fact and if they didn’t like it, it’s their own issue.”

“What are you talking about? I just stood there, frozen, I didn’t even say a word.” 

“Well, it felt like you were backing me up. Because you were there. Also if you actually talked, you would’ve made dad angry. It’s better if he assumes you’re mute.” 

“Thanks.” Myungsoo makes a face at her.

His heart's still pounding in his ears and he can still hear her dad yelling profanities from a distance and cannot even comprehend how easily she just took it all. 

Myungsoo can’t believe he read “how to make your inlaws like you - for dummies” twice for it to end so tragically and so fast. 

“You worry too much.” Sungyeol smears some yogurt on his nose, and he frowns at her.

“You’re scaring me because you’re not worried  _ enough _ , all of a sudden. It makes me feel self-conscious. Is this how you feel when you get worried and I just wave my hand at you and tell you it’s going to be fine?”

“Honestly? I just get pissed off. And I feel like hitting you. But I don’t want to be a part of the domestic abuse statistics. I’ll just verbally bully you.”

“How can you joke about this?” 

“I’m eating yogurt in the middle of the winter inside a car. I hate yogurt, Myungsoo. And you look ridiculous with yogurt on your nose.”

Myungsoo is about to wipe it with the back of his hand, but she catches his wrist and licks it off. 

Myungsoo is torn between being turned on and being angry at her for not having enough reaction to what just happened. 

  
  


.

 

Sungyeol’s first six months of pregnancy were relatively easy. 

Her belly isn’t big, and although her mood went up and down, most of the time she looked good and felt good. She didn’t have morning sicknesses, beside boob soreness and complaining about her stretch marks, she was perfectly healthy, too.

Amy even said she never saw a more beautiful pregnant woman.

But her seventh month is difficult. 

It the middle of winter, and she gets dizzy a lot. 

She can’t sleep most nights, wondering about the house wrapped in a blanket. When she does sleep - she gets plagued by constant nightmares. She doesn’t tell him what she sees in her dream, except maybe once. 

She says she saw a white horse walking in the apartment - she followed it, and in the livingroom there was an crib and inside the crib, Myungsoo’s dick. 

Myungsoo is so disturbed when she told him that, he can’t even fall asleep himself. 

They still need a lot of shopping to do for the baby, but because she doesn’t sleep (and she needs to lay off the caffeine), she’s constantly tired and in sour mood. 

Her belly is big now, and she gets frustrated when she can’t do everyday activities; standing up, cleaning and even going on long shopping sprees causes either fatigue or swollen legs and it kills him to see her struggle to keep up after him, so he prefers to stay at home. 

At least her mom comes around, she starts calling her every day, and even comes over a few times. Her mom even meets his mom, and once they come back from having coffee together, Sungyeol’s mom tells Myungsoo that he can call her “mom” too, since he’s her son-in-law.

One time, Sungyeol asks to lie down for a few minutes and Myungsoo is expected to entertain her. She seems like a nice lady, but she keeps giving him this look filled with pity. 

Myungsoo wonders if she’s pitying him because he had to quit university or because he got married to Sungyeol. He strongly suspects it’s the latter. 

Myungsoo’s mom and dad come over to finally inspect their new place and critique it. Myungsoo expects his mom to say what she said about his studio apartment, but she actually says; “Ah, Sungyeollie has good tastes.” 

Sungyeol is no longer interested in sex - which is a bummer. But Myungsoo doesn’t complains - he decides to take this time to refill his energy and stamina (which were hurt during this period - he felt like she sucked him dry on her second trimester). 

.

 

“Look.” Sungyeol takes pink tiny socks out of piles of baby clothings Sungyeol’s aunts had given her. 

Myungsoo smiles; “I refuse to believe Cherry’s legs are going to be this small. My pinkie barely goes inside of it.” 

Sungyeol snorts. 

It’s snowing like crazy during that night - it’s the end of January, and Myungsoo is happy that they both don’t have school or work. 

Both christmas and new year's this year were different than any before, because they were spent away from the world, in anticipation of a baby. This is how the past months felt like - Myungsoo understood that the line between “girlfriend” and “wife” is much wider than you’d think.

Sungyeol as his girlfriend was close - but at the same time distant, she lived some place else, and had her own ideas and her own opinions. Sungyeol as his wife has the same opinions as Girlfriend-Sungyeol but in the end their endgame is the same, and they make decisions together and spend more time together than apart. 

Sungyeol bites her lower lip. “I wonder what she’s going to be like. Personality-wise. What if she wouldn’t like the princess concept?”

“All girls like the princess concept, Sungyeol.” 

“All girls and Kim Myungsoo.” 

“Yes well - maybe she won’t like the princess concept - maybe she’ll be like me and won’t play into the conventional gender roles. She can be whatever she wants to be.” 

“Do you think you fit into a female gender role, Myungsoo?” She smirks at him, as if what he said is funny and he makes a face at her. 

They continue to fold the baby clothes in silence for a moment, until Sungyeol says; “I feel like - although we have a plan and everything, that we’re just sorta winging this. Sometimes I think once she’s born, reality will cave on us, and we’ll be forced to give her away.” 

“We’re not giving her away.” Myungsoo says that so decidedly, that even Sungyeol is surprised by his tone. “Even if we’re dirt poor, we’ll find a way to raise her.” 

She nods.

After they finish with Cherry’s closet, they sit in the living room, where’s warmer, and watch a movie. Sungyeol rubs her belly for a long while, then falls asleep.

  
  
  


.

  
  


Eight Month, they’re almost at the finish line - but  Sungyeol is already done with the pregnancy. 

At least, she decides she is. 

She starts calling Cherry ‘The Parasite’ instead of ‘Cherry’. Myungsoo gets insulted the first two times, but then just accepts it. 

She decides doing Yoga for pregnant women in order to lose weight, and meditates while listening to new age soundscapes (full volume on) and it disrupts Myungsoo’s gaming sessions.

All the more during her meditation, instead of “Omm” she chants; “Out, Out, Out.” 

She tries everything from asking Amy to hurry up the process to talking Cherry to decide to come out herself.

She even coaxs him to have sex because she read online that it accelerates the process. But they’re both not really in the mood, and Myungsoo is annoyed with her trying to get rid of Cherry. 

Obviously at that point they fight about it.

Sungyeol’s argument is that she can’t even pick up her dirty underwear off the floor without feeling pain, and her feet are always in pain and her back and her boobs and just everything. 

Myungsoo’s argument is that she just needs to wait a little bit more, so that the baby will be born healthy and that she’s being a brat. 

Then she claims he doesn’t understands the burden so he’s not allowed to comment on it. 

He is sent to sleep on the couch. 

He can’t even fall asleep because he’s so angry. 

She shakes him awake just when he’s finally nodding off.

“What?” He snaps. 

“I’m sorry,” She whispers.

He takes a large inhale and is about to lecture her about how babies can feel everything, but Sungyeol cuts him off; “I think she’s upset.”

“Of course she’s upset—”

“No, Myungsoo—” She groans and presses both of her hands on her belly; “The baby—something is wrong with the baby.” 

 

.

 

The next 24 hours are one big blur. He only comes to his senses, when Dongwoo finally comes back with a coffee cup.

He explains to him that the baby was in distress, but it seemed to have stabilized in the womb, and Amy decided to wait for a few hours and monitor it, since it was too soon to get it out. 

Dongwoo says that her heartbeat is strong and it might have been just an early contraction. 

He’s allowed to see Sungyeol after that. 

She’s connected to the IV, but she seems a bit doped up and woozy. 

She smiles and reaches up to him; “Hi.”

“Hi.” Myungsoo kisses her hand. “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. It’s because I stressed you with my bullshit and—”

“No, no, babe - it’s—” She tries to sit up but hisses a little, and Myungsoo cringes. 

He didn’t sleep, and he’s exhausted, and he was upset he wasn’t allowed into the urgent care unit with her. 

“It’s not you - Don’t blame yourself, okay? I think it was just me with my baby craze. I shouldn’t have rushed her. I thought it’s normal - to have these pains.”

Although she says that, Myungsoo can’t help but blame himself for raising his voice at her.

She falls asleep in mid-sentence, and he falls asleep on the chair beside her bed, still holding onto her hand.

He wakes up a few hours later, when Amy arrives back from the clinic, to make sure Sungyeol is alright. 

Sungyeol is groggy and is somewhere between dreamland and awakeness, and when she calls out to Myungsoo she says; “Where is my muffin…?”

Myungsoo helps her up so Amy can inspect her, but Amy pauses the moment she lifts the sheet. 

“Oh my,” She suddenly says. After a moment of checking, she making a few “hmm” sounds.which “Hmm what?” Myungsoo urges.

“Her water broke. It seems your little Cherry is ready to come out now.”

“Now? But— It’s too early!” 

“Her cervix dilated while she was sleeping - she’s already 5 cm wide— I’m going to call Dongwoo, Okay, Sungyeol? You’re going to be okay.”

Although she says that, Sungyeol looks scared. 

She calls in a team of nurses, and they wheel her out of the room to the delivery room in the matter of minutes. 

Now that she’s fully awake and aware, Sungyeol has really hard contractions, and she yells and holds onto the railing of her bed. 

Myungsoo feels like he’s a child inside the delivery room, because he doesn’t know what to do, he’s scared, tired and the nurses in the room shoo him from place to place, until Sungyeol finally calls out to him and asks him to hold her hand and stand beside her. 

It’s painful, but he holds her back while she yells and breathes according to Amy and Dongwoo’s instructions. 

She keeps trying to say that she’s not ready yet for the baby, and that she can’t push anymore, but nobody listens to her, and Myungsoo just wants to yell at everybody to stop, because if they’re not ready, they’re not ready. 

“I can see the head! Just a little bit more!” Amy exclaims, and Myungsoo’s whole body tenses.

Sungyeol’s sweaty and heaving between tries and Myungsoo kisses her temple and interlaces their fingers, and tells her “Just a little more.” 

He’s not sure why, but she says; “Don’t go, okay? Stay with me…”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He replies. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

He gives her a short kiss, but she breaks it because she grimaces at the pain. 

When Myungsoo looks back, all the nurses and the doctors in the room have this weird warm expressions on their faces, as if they’re watching a sappy drama. 

 

.

 

Cherry is born on March 1st, at 11 am in the morning. 

She weights 2.150 kilograms and she’s 41 centimeters tall. 

She doesn’t comes out with a stem on her head, but she’s really pink and wrinkled, and she cries like a piggy when they give her to him after they cut her cord.

She feels so light and small in his hands, and he can’t believe that he’s holding  **_her_ ** , finally,  **_in his hands._ **

His daughter. 

His flesh and blood. 

Something that he and Sungyeol created together. 

She’s already a little person. She has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and cute bottom nose and everything is exactly where it should be. 

Sungyeol holds her next, even though she looks like she’s struggling to keep herself awake. 

They didn’t even think of names yet - but they ask them what’s her name, and Sungyeol is still staring at her and says; “Kim Sooah.”

Myungsoo loves that name instantly - Kim Sooah. 

They write it down on her little bracelet and take her away to measuring and blood tests.

Sungyeol is crying when they take her away, and she falls asleep almost immediately afterwards in Myungsoo’s arms. 

  
  


.

 

Sungyeol’s family are the first ones who come to visit them.

Everybody, including Sungyeol’s grandma and grandpa and Daeyeol, her little brother are crying. 

Myungsoo feels clogged up in the throat too, even though nobody notices him. 

Afterwards, he takes her dad to see Sooah.

Amy put Sooah in the intensive care unit, since although she was perfectly healthy, she was still born prematurely, and she just wanted to make sure she’s well looked after during the first week of her life. 

Sungyeol’s dad is shocked out of words when he sees Sooah. Myungsoo is actually shocked as well - he can’t get used to looking at her. She’s this perfect placid little baby.

He puts his hand on Myungsoo’s nape and says; “She looks just like Sungyeol when she was born.” 

And he’s correct. Sooah is the most beautiful baby there. Everybody who come inside want her to be their baby, and are jealous of Myungsoo who gets to hold her.

Myungsoo’s parents are the next ones who come, and after that people keep on piling up. From friends to distant family members who didn’t even know Myungsoo had a wife.

Everybody want to take pictures of her and see her, and ask her who she looks like.

Myungsoo thinks she doesn’t look like any of them. 

  
  
  
  


.

  
  


Myungsoo orders Sooah a knitted Cherry hat. It even has a green stem with a leaf. 

They go stroll in the hangang and take their first family pictures. 

Sooah doesn’t smiles yet, but she seems perky. 

It’s been a little bit more than a month since Sungyeol gave birth, and in that month, she managed to lose all the extra weight she gained. 

The only evidence are the stretch marks on her belly, and whenever Myungsoo sees them, he kisses them. They’re like tattoos that Sooah left behind, a proof she was inside Sungyeol’s belly for 8 months.

Oh, and the perky boobs. 

Myungsoo has a crazy attachment to them, he denies that one day they might be gone. 

“I think she’s cold.” Sungyeol decides once they’re done with their photo session. 

Myungsoo looks into the stroller. 

“How can you tell?” 

“Because she’s making a sour face.” 

“She’s not making a sour face, I think she’s enjoying the view.” 

“How can she enjoy the view when it’s so cold.” 

“Sungyeol, maybe you’re the one who's cold? I told you not to wear a dress.” 

“I’m sorry I wanted to look pretty and not like a cave troll.” 

“As if it’s possible for you to look like a cave troll.” 

“Let’s just go home already - my vagina has been through enough, do you want her to freeze off, too?” 

Myungsoo makes a face at her but nods and starts pushing the stroller. 

Sooah coos, as if she’s voicing out her opinion on this matter. 

Sungyeol circles her hand around his. 

“Hey - did you know, today exactly nine months ago, Sooah was conceived?” 

“9 months ago, huh? What did we even do nine months ago? I feel like everything before the pregnancy was so long ago.”    
“We went to that Lake House. In the countryside, for the weekend - remember? We couldn’t find any normal restaurants for miles and nobody delivered there - so we just went back to Seoul to eat.” 

“Oh right—” Sungyeol laughs. “Why do you think it was exactly then though? Maybe it was after Sunggyu’s birthday party, on the rooftop. That’s a much more romantic place for conceiving a baby.” 

“I vaguely remember that the condom felt really loose near the end that day - and when I took it off, it was dripping—”

She stops walking and stares at him with her eyebrows furrowed. “So the condom broke and you just kept going?” 

“Yeah, um— I thought you were on the pill, though.”

“No—why would I ask you to do it with a condom if I was on the pill?!” She raises her voice.

Myungsoo scratches his head.

“So it didn’t even occur to you to tell me that the condom was dripping?! Not even once?!”

“It just slipped my mind because you wanted to cuddle and—”

She looks like she’s about to hit him with her bag - her bag is even more heavy now that she has a baby, and in his autopsy, they’ll write “blunt trauma” as cause of death. It will probably feel like getting hit with a hammer. 

“I didn’t know you were off the pill, Sungyeol! Besides, Sooah is already born so let bygones be bygones.”

“Oh, I’m definitly going to let bygones be bygones. So bygones are so far gone, that their sorry ass is going to sleep on the street today.” She pushes him away from the stroller, and starts walking away in a really fast stride. “I knew it, Myungsoo. I knew this is somehow your fault. You’re just so irresponsible. Oh my god, and I got married to you!”

“I don’t like condoms, okay— so— wait, Sungyeol—” He struggles keeping up with her. 

She stops and sharply turns to him, then pokes a finger into his chest; “So what do you suggest, not using them at all because your majesty dislikes condoms? How about we have a kid every time we have sex for the next 50 years?” 

Myungsoo scratches his head; “I wouldn’t mind. I want to have a huge family.”

She looks scandalized. 

“I love you.” He tries.

Myungsoo sleeps on the couch that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW  
> OK   
> I really struggled with this one for various reasons - but especially since I needed to edit this while having a crazy work shift with a bunch of brats.   
> But Yes, it's finally here! Sorry for being late with this hehe!  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this, even though it's not your usual pregnancy fic! Special thanks to; Sungyeol for being the most beautiful woman in the world and making me happy, and Aniko who provided valid information.   
> Leave a comment below!


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